The Florida Senate

¹641.31074  Guaranteed renewability of coverage.--

(1)  Except as otherwise provided in this section, a health maintenance organization that issues a group health insurance contract must renew or continue in force such coverage at the option of the contract holder.

(2)  A health maintenance organization may nonrenew or discontinue a contract based only on one or more of the following conditions:

(a)  The contract holder has failed to pay premiums or contributions in accordance with the terms of the contract or the health maintenance organization has not received timely premium payments.

(b)  The contract holder has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact under the terms of the contract.

(c)  The contract holder has failed to comply with a material provision of the plan which relates to rules for employer contributions or group participation.

(d)  The health maintenance organization is ceasing to offer coverage in such a market in accordance with subsection (3).

(e)  There is no longer any enrollee in connection with such plan who lives, resides, or works in the service area of the health maintenance organization or in the area in which the health maintenance organization is authorized to do business and, in the case of the small group market, the organization would deny enrollment with respect to such plan under s. 627.6699(5)(i).

(f)  In the case of coverage that is made available only through one or more bona fide associations as defined in s. 627.6571(5), the membership of an employer in the association, on the basis of which the coverage is provided, ceases, but only if such coverage is terminated under this paragraph uniformly without regard to any health-status-related factor that relates to any covered individuals.

(3)(a)  A health maintenance organization may discontinue offering a particular contract form for group coverage offered in the small group market or large group market only if:

1.  The health maintenance organization provides notice to each contract holder provided coverage of this form in such market, and participants and beneficiaries covered under such coverage, of such discontinuation at least 90 days prior to the date of the nonrenewal of such coverage;

2.  The health maintenance organization offers to each contract holder provided coverage of this form in such market the option to purchase all, or in the case of the large group market, any other health insurance coverage currently being offered by the health maintenance organization in such market; and

3.  In exercising the option to discontinue coverage of this form and in offering the option of coverage under subparagraph 2., the health maintenance organization acts uniformly without regard to the claims experience of those contract holders or any health-status-related factor that relates to any participants or beneficiaries covered or new participants or beneficiaries who may become eligible for such coverage.

(b)1.  In any case in which a health maintenance organization elects to discontinue offering all coverage in the small group market or the large group market, or both, in this state, coverage may be discontinued by the insurer only if:

a.  The health maintenance organization provides notice to the department and to each contract holder, and participants and beneficiaries covered under such coverage, of such discontinuation at least 180 days prior to the date of the nonrenewal of such coverage; and

b.  All health insurance issued or delivered for issuance in this state in such market is discontinued and coverage under such health insurance coverage in such market is not renewed.

2.  In the case of a discontinuation under subparagraph 1. in a market, the health maintenance organization may not provide for the issuance of any health maintenance organization contract coverage in the market in this state during the 5-year period beginning on the date of the discontinuation of the last insurance contract not renewed.

(4)  At the time of coverage renewal, a health maintenance organization may modify the coverage for a product offered:

(a)  In the large group market; or

(b)  In the small group market if, for coverage that is available in such market other than only through one or more bona fide associations, as defined in s. 627.6571(5), such modification is consistent with s. 627.6699 and effective on a uniform basis among group health plans with that product.

(5)  In applying this section in the case of health insurance coverage that is made available by a health maintenance organization in the small group market or large group market to employers only through one or more associations, a reference to "contract holder" is deemed, with respect to coverage provided to an employer member of the association, to include a reference to such employer.

History.--s. 28, ch. 97-179; s. 24, ch. 98-159.

¹Note.--Section 34(2), ch. 97-179, provides that:

"(2)  Except as provided in section 627.6561(9), (10), and (11), and section 641.31071(10), (11), and (12), Florida Statutes, in the case of a group health plan or group health insurance contract maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements between employee representatives and one or more employers which is ratified before this act becomes a law, sections 627.6561, 627.65615, 627.65625, 627.6571, 627.6699, 641.31071, 641.31072, 641.31073, and 641.31074, Florida Statutes, except for section 627.6561(8)(b), Florida Statutes, as amended or created by this act, apply to policies or contracts with plan years that begin on or after the later of:

"(a)  The date on which the last of any collective bargaining agreement that relates to the plan terminates, determined without regard to any extension thereof, which is agreed to after the date this act becomes a law; or

"(b)  July 1, 1997."